15 June 2016

Newsletter Articles

From the Principal

Welcome to this fortnight's newsletter. As we near the end of term 2, this time is crucial for students to maintain a strong attendance pattern. Why? Because history tells us that students become tired towards the mid-year break and have a tendency to fall behind in their revision and assessment preparation. This then leads to stress and student disengagement. So parents, it is really worthwhile to discuss with your child what assessment they have coming up. It is also worthwhile negotiating time-consuming events or commitments that your child has over the next two weeks to ensure they can manage the assessment deadlines as the semester finishes.

Recently, our Chemistry students participated in the new State-wide External assessment trail. We are a trial school for Chemistry where one quarter of an OP senior student's assessment will eventually become external assessment. This is a major change and most likely a positive one for our students. There will be more to come on this over the next two years.

Last week our students continued the interschool sporting competitions at Blackwater. I am also thrilled to tell you how well our music students performed at Fanfare. We won silver for our Jazz band and gold for our Symphonic Band. How good is that? Our students were brilliant!

Also last week, our school hosted Maths teachers from around the region. One goal of the group is to break the myth of "I can't do Maths". Hence we have embarked on a Maths development process for all of our Maths teachers and this will continue over the next few years. Also important to this school is our classroom Standards of Practice teacher development program as well as our Positive Behaviour Learning program. With these three areas, I have outlined to you our improvement agenda – Pedagogical Standards, Behaviour and Maths. We have organised teacher teams and training programs to develop our skills and students' capacity in these three areas. The latest research tells us that high performing schools focus on improving in a few narrow areas and the rest tends to follow in place at a high level as well. So these are our areas that we will "drill down" upon during the next few years. I hope you will support our staff in this journey.

Special Mentions:

• Mrs Jones and Ms Felhaber for leading our band students to excellent performance at Fanfare.
• Did you know that Mr Nazim is currently working on the new Maths B syllabus for Queensland? Isn't that amazing that Brisbane recognises the quality of teacher we have at Emerald?
• Congratulations to all of our Interact students who are doing great things for our community.

"Life is not happening to you. Life is responding to you." Author Unknown

Have a safe and happy weekend.

Ray Clarke
Principal

From the Deputy

In Term 3, year 10 students will be undertaking Senior Education Training Plans (SETPlans). This is an individualised plan for each student that documents student goals, abilities and aspirations. It does not matter if a year 10 student is taking a tertiary or vocational (VET) career pathway. Parents / guardians role is to review and sign off the SETPlans. This will happen in a meeting with a school representative, the student and parent/guardian.

If your student is thinking of undertaking tertiary education, they must meet the pre-requisites for your student to study the following Authority Subjects in Year 11 in 2017. The students need to meet the pre-requisite because Authority Subjects are rigorous academic subjects. To be successful, a student must apply themselves in undertaking these subjects in years 11 and 12. Students who meet the pre-requisite at the end of Semester 2 2016 are eligible to undertake Authority Subjects in Year 11 2017.

Your student's Level of Achievement in Authority Subjects contributes to their Overall Position (OP). Authority-Registered Subjects and VET are subjects that do not count towards an OP. (An OP is a direct route to University entrance.)

Although most students wishing to gain an OP will study six authority subjects, it is possible to study one authority-registered subject with five authority subjects and still be eligible for an OP.

To be eligible for an Overall Position (OP) your student must:

• study at least 20 semester units of authority subjects;
• study at least three authority subjects for all semesters of Senior; and
• sit for the Queensland Cores Skills (QCS) Test.

For further information on tertiary entrance, please contact us or go to page 4 of the Senior Subject Information Handbook 2016 found on our school website.

Regards

Rob Tuppack
Deputy Principal – Years 9 & 10

Attendance News

Fortnight: 92.25%
YTD: 89.7%

Our target is 91%.

Great work for the past fortnight!

Year 11 News

With the first semester almost over it is very important that all year 11 students are ensuring that they are attending each and every day so that they do not miss vital content and skills in their subject areas.

Once again I would like to encourage all Year 11s to become involved in the school and wider community if they are seeking to take up a leadership role within the school next year. There will be a leadership camp in term 4 along with leadership applications and interviews so it is important that our future leaders are involved where possible in school and community activities.

With the cold weather upon us please support the school by making sure your child has the appropriate winter uniform. Emerald State High School has a uniform policy and students are expected to be wearing the designated school uniform at all times. Students are not permitted to wear plain black shorts, leggings or denim. Only shorts with the school insignia, which are purchased through the tuckshop, are acceptable. We also have a winter uniform for sale in the tuckshop and plain black track suits pants and black or green jumpers without hoods or any insignia or writing are acceptable. Shoes must be laced, no slip-on shoes are allowed as they constitute a workplace health and safety risk in many classrooms. Any uniform issues for year 11 need to be directed to myself or Mrs Leigh Dyer the Senior Deputy.

Very shortly the year 11 students will also get the opportunity to choose the design for their senior jersey. This year we will be ordering these early therefore it is important that the following requirements are meet to ensure students are eligible to purchase a senior jersey.

• Students must have a 90% attendance rate
• All fees are to be paid in full or a payment plan is in place through the office with regular payments being received.

The jerseys will come in both a long sleeve and short sleeve and we will be doing a second order at the end of term one in 2017.

Kaz Van Hees
Year 11 Manager

From the Head of Department: HPE, LOTE, & Wellness

Health and Physical Education

Interschool

Congratulations to all the students (and staff) that attended the interschool competition in Blackwater. The girls represented the school in netball and all teams had a win. The U13s and U15s were both undefeated on the day and the U18s came away with a win and a loss. The boys played well in the league competition as well with all the teams coming away with at least one win on the day. Students were well behaved and were excellent role models for our school. Students played fair showing good sportsmanship, positive attitudes and strong commitment. Well done to all teams.

Athletics Carnival

It's time to dig out the colours and costumes again and warm up the cheering voices for this Thursday's Athletics Carnival. Pre carnival events have started and it looks to be shaping up to a close competition. Students are encouraged to wear their house colours on the day and give all the events a go. There will be novelty events running as well as both track and field events. There will be a BBQ running on the day so the tuckshop will be closed.

Sports Tour

First week after the holidays around 50 students will be travelling to the Sunshine Coast to play in a Rubgy 7's competition. Both the boys and girls teams have been training hard and we wish them all the best.

"If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it - then I can achieve it."

Japanese

Year 7

This term the students have been working hard on learning their hiragana (alphabet) and learning about seasons and weather. The students looked at what different seasons look like in Japan and to describe the feeling of the season. They have also learnt about weather reports and can now tell the weather and temperature in Japanese.

Year 8

Students have been learning about daily routine and have looked at the difference between an Australian teenager's day and a Japanese teenager's day. The students have learnt to explain what their day looks like using different days, times and actives in Japanese.

Wellness

The grade 7, 8 and 9s this term have looked at positive self-esteem and positive self-talk and the influence it can have on you. They have also looked at the way that physical health can influence your mental health and took a lesson out to learn about Reconciliation week. Students will finish off this term watching Inside Out in preparation for next term.

Rebecca Comolatti
Head of Department: Health & Physical Education, Languages Other Than English & Wellness

From the Head of Department: Science

Curriculum News

The year 7s are currently working on their biological control assignment poster. They will finish this term studying the impacts on ecosystems. The year 8 students are doing the Energy Efficiency exam this week while in year 9 the students are working on their volcanoes assessment. In grade 10 the students are learning the different types of chemical reactions and conducting reaction rate experiments.

In the senior school, both the grade 11 and 12 Science in Practice students are working on their assessments on food webs and plant and animal adaptions. The year 11 Biology students are currently completing their scientific reports involving genetic engineering while the year 12s are finalising their reports on Biodiversity and water quality. In Physics the year 11s are compiling their extended response assignment tasks on Bridge Physics while the students in grade 12 Physics and Chemistry classes are writing their final drafts on their own choice extended experimental investigations.

The year 11 Chemistry students sat an external exam trial paper on Thursday the 2nd of June. This trial assessment was developed by the QCAA to be administered under secure conditions, and graded externally. As the trial only involved Year 11 formative assessment, there was no impact on students' Year 12 exit results or on their OP rank for tertiary entrance.

Field Trips

During this term, the grade 12 Biology students were taken to North Keppel Island to study the water quality of the reef, and how impacts from the catchment areas can be managed to reduce the effects on the reef. The year 11 SIP students went for an excursion to the Fairbairn Dam to collect samples of water containing macro –invertebrates. They used probes to test the quality of the water they collected, in particular, the dissolved oxygen and nitrogen contents. The students used the classification guides to identify the different types of macro-invertebrates found.

"Science is a way of life. Science is a perspective. Science is the process that takes us from confusion to understanding in a manner that's precise, predictive and reliable - a transformation, for those lucky enough to experience it, that is empowering and emotional".

Brian Greene Read more at:

Aneel Dewan
Head of Department- Science (Acting)

Mathematics News

It's crunch time now across the school and the Maths department is no exception. With assessment block underway our senior students are very busy completing their assessments. Our years 10s have come back from a week long work experience; it was a wonderful opportunity from what we have heard so far.

Maths has had a very good term 2. Our exceptional team of teachers managed to promote a high level of student engagement across all year levels. Many students have been out and about on the school grounds taking measurements and making calculations.

Senior Maths A students have been involved in surveying different areas in the school, interpreting, analysing data and drawing maps. Pre-Vocational Math students are currently working on their public speaking skills, having to do PowerPoint presentations as an assessment requirement. Our year eight students are looking into linear relationships whilst the grade 9s are investigating congruency. With the variety of assessment tasks being completed, it's no wonder that students are very busy and already looking forward to the next term.

Arts News

Throughout term 2 the students of the Arts department have been working hard in exploring their creative sides.

Music

In year 7 music, we have been learning about basic conventions involved in rock music and using these skills to compose their own piece of music; the students have loved learning basic rock beats on the drum kit. Year 9 music students have been applying analysing skills and basic knowledge about each musical element to a musicology task and creating their own compositions relating to program music (writing music to portray a picture or land mark). The year 11 and 12 music class have moved onto a new unit of My Island Home, where they are concentrating on Australian Music – composing, analysing and performing. The music classroom is open to students during lunchtimes, as well as before and after school on request.

Visual Arts

Visual Arts have been going well this term with two of our students taking out top prizes in this year's show. Congratulations to Holly Smith in year 10 and Bryn O'Connor in year 12, taking out second place in the recyclable sculpture section.

Drama

There has been lots of excitement within the walls of the Drama room. On the 24th of May, Emerald State High School were fortunate enough to have Grin & Tonic visit and work with a range of students. The Drama students in the senior class as well as the Year 8 students participated in a workshop which focused on the physicalizing characters, spatial awareness as well as bringing energy to each activity and performance. The Drama classes were able to view the following performances: My Island Home (based on Australian Identity), a Macbeth adaptation as well as a modern interpretation of Romeo and Juliet. It was a great day for all who participated and a wonderful opportunity for our students to access live and professional theatre.

Grin & Tonic visit

Within the classes, our Year 7 Drama group have been exploring the style of Melodrama through the creation of Super Heroes and Super Villains. This has been an exciting unit as the students have to use their imagination to create interesting characters and exciting plot lines. Year 8s have found great success throughout this term whilst exploring the style of Children's Theatre. At the moment, the students are refining and polishing their own fractured fairytales which has managed to explore the real story of Little Red Riding Hood's gangster Grandmother, the story of how Red tried to make her Granny feel better by getting her friends Snow White, Princess Jasmine, Rapunzel and Cinderella to help her, as well as the transformed story of Rumplestiltskin. The students have applied themselves really well to this task and the final products are sure to be an entertaining performance. Year 9s have been exploring the style of Realism through the playtext, Juice. Although Realism can be quite challenging the students are producing high quality work as well as working with a range of different students. Year 10s have just finished their responding task where they analysed and evaluated the elements of drama and conventions of New Circus whilst studying the theatre company, Cirque du Soleil. The year 11 and 12s are doing a similar task, however, analysing and evaluating the live performances that they viewed from Grin & Tonic.

It has been an incredibly busy term, but Miss Prior is very proud of the work produced by all of the Drama students.

Jacinda Fehlhaber
Music Teacher

Guidance Councillor News

Anxiety

… somewhat more than just feeling stressed or worried from time to time.

Generally people feel anxious when facing threats, stressful life events, health problems, new challenges or feel under pressure. For some these feelings happen for no apparent reason or can occur long after the stressful situation has passed. Anxious feelings that cannot be managed easily because they are very intense, happen often or feel overwhelming, make it difficult for a person to cope with daily life and may cause severe distress. General feelings of anxiety include increased heart rate, faster breathing, sweating, shaking and a fluttering / upset stomach. With an anxiety disorder one may also experience:

• Persistent worrying and excessive fears;
• Being unable to relax;
• Avoidance of challenging situations;
• Being socially isolated or withdrawn;
• Lack of concentration;
• Poor sleep patterns; or
• Problems with school, work, social or family life.

Treatment and support helps people to learn how to control the condition, limit the stress and manage tricky situations. Psychological therapies with the support of a professional have been found to be effective and these may include structured sessions accessed via the internet. If anxiety symptoms are severe medical treatments may be helpful.

Additional strategies that may be helpful:

• Maintain a healthy lifestyle with simple enjoyable regular exercise to relieve muscle tension, distract one from negative thinking patterns and relax the mind.
• Eat regularly a variety of healthy food and snack options and drink water.
• Reduce alcohol, caffeine and avoid other drugs that may worsen anxiety symptoms.
• Strengthen relationships with friends, family and community.
• Allocate time to learn to relax and participate in activities you find interesting and rewarding (reading, music, meditation, outdoor activities, community projects).
• Develop a regular sleep pattern to allow your body to recover and recharge. This will improve your energy level in addition to building your confidence and overall sense of wellbeing.

(Adapted from www.beyondblue.org.au and www.headspace.org.au )
ONLINE COUNSELLING: www.eheadspace.org.au and www.kidshelp.com.au

Careers: Explore tertiary studies, training and career options.

1. Free 35th Annual TSXPO (TERTIARY STUDIES EXPO) Brisbane Showgrounds Bowen Hills Saturday 16th & Sunday 17th July 2016 10am-4pm

2. Free 12th Annual Townsville Careers Expo RSL Stadium - Murray Sports Complex Monday 8th August 2016
10am-1.30pm & 4pm-7pm

Instrumental Music News

Band Camp 2016

34 Emerald State High School students have just returned from a fun filled 4 day camp held at Yeppoon. For the new students in Symphonic Band, this was their first band camp experience. At Emerald State High, we have a proud tradition of having awesome band camps and this was no exception. Many long hours were spent rehearsing our new repertoire. Students gained valuable experience and even surprised themselves with how much they improved.

We were very fortunate to have Mr John Evenhuis work with the band. John is currently Head of Music at the Rockhampton Grammar School. John brought along a couple of Rocky Grammar students who joined in the band. John enjoyed working with our students and was full of praise of our students' behaviour and musicianship skills. Students worked very hard during camp, and I am still being reminded of the …

14.5 long hours of rehearsals !!!!!

Yeppoon PCYC was an excellent venue, and we all appreciated the awesome food. In between rehearsals students enjoyed the beach, shopping and a beautiful lunch at the Billabong Restaurant at Capricorn Resort. Our Jazz band also performed poolside at Capricorn Resort. It was awesome to have some of our Emerald families travel to watch our performance. The highlight for me was our talent quest on the last night of camp. Wow - there are so many talented students at our school.

Congratulations to all of the students for their hard work and excellent behaviour. I would also like to congratulate all parents for raising such awesome, respectful and delightful children. Many thanks to my awesome band camp roadies, Jacinda Fehlhaber and Gail Spargo. I always appreciate the support from parents who always do a great job at helping at band camps.

Fanfare

Symphonic Band and Jazz Band students recently performed at the regional Fanfare competition. Fanfare is the Statewide Festival for State School Bands and Orchestras, which is held biennially throughout the Queensland. It showcases the exciting music making that is occurring in school ensembles across the state. Fanfare was initiated in 1985 to foster the development and highlight the achievements of school-based ensembles in the instrumental music program.

Our Symphonic was awarded a GOLD and our Jazz band was awarded SILVER for our performances. Students have been working very hard all year and were ecstatic with the results. The adjudicator was very complimentary with his comments, and praised our intonation, rhythmic precision and choice of program.

I am looking forward to continued improvement for the rest of the year.

Dana Jones
Band Director

News from the Library

Premier's Reading Challenge

The Premier's Reading Challenge is an annual state-wide initiative for students up to Year 9. The Premier's Reading Challenge is not a competition but aims to improve literacy and encourage children to engage in reading for pleasure and learning. Students that complete the challenge to read 15 books between 16 May - 26 August will receive a certificate. To register, students should see Mrs Galea in the library.

Reader's Cup

On June10th, 5 Year 7 & 8 students who've been reading their way through a collection of 5 books participated in the Capricornia Region Reader's Cup competition at Blackwater State High School. The competition requires students to work in a team of answer questions about the chosen books, which this year were Heart of Danger, One Red Shoe, Stargirl, Wonder, and Would the Real Stanley Carrot Please Stand Up?, that they've been reading since the end of Term 1. There were 17 teams from 11 schools in the Capricornia Region. Congratulations to these students for their efforts in representing our school.

ICAS

Students are now able to collect permission forms and letters for the English and Mathematics ICAS tests which will occur on August 2nd and August 16th. Both tests cost $8.80 each and are open to all year levels. The English ICAS test requires students to locate, identify, interpret, infer and synthesise information in and about texts, focusing on the aspects of reading for meaning in factual and literary texts, syntax, textual devices and vocabulary. The Mathematics ICAS test covers mathematical skills in a range of contexts from algebra and patterns, chance and data, measures and units, number and arithmetic, and space and geometry. Each student who sits an ICAS Test will receive a certificate and a breakdown of their results. Letters and payment for both tests are due June 20th.

Competitions

Students should see Mrs Galea in the library for more details & to submit entries. Entering into these competitions earns students vivo points.

The BILBY (Book I Love BEST Yearly) Awards shortlist has been announced and It is suggested that students read through the shortlist and then cast their vote for their favourite by June 17th. Happy reading!

Interschool Chess Competition

On the 27th of May, some of our students competed in the Annual Emerald Interschool Chess Competition at the Town Hall. The students involved played some very challenging opponents and had some excellent wins as well as some close losses. All of our students demonstrated exemplary behaviour as well as impressive sportsmanlike attributes. Our very own Peter Watson in year 9 took out the individual secondary competition and Check Mate were the runner's up in the teams division.

It was a wonderful day had by all as we all learnt new skills and strategies, made new friends and played a lot of Chess.

Miss Prior

Position Vacant

Track & Field Carnival